Liquid controller for two and three phase slip-ring motors



A. WEST May 11 1926.

SLIP RING MOTORS Filed Feb. 14, 1924 l etented May 11, 1926.

ALLEN WEST, 01 BRIGHTON, ENGLAND.

LIQUID CONTROLLERFOR TWO AND THREE PHASE SLIP-RING IiTOTQB$.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,791.

This invention relates to liquid controllers for two and three phase slip-ring motors.

In these controllers which are chiefly applicable to three phase current systems it is usual to arrange three electrodes on a common bar which are lowered Vertically into three earthenware pots or vessels mounted on the bottom of the tank containing the resistance liquid. At the bottom of each of these pots a terminal plate is mounted and such plates are connected to the rotor of the motor to be controlled.

By lowering the moving electrodes the rotor is gradually short circuited and by raising them the liquid resistance is inserted into the rotor circuit.

In the case of large controllers of this type it is found that it is difficult to balance the moving electrodes and further the in ertia or" the moving parts is increased by the balance weights.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these defects and this is eltected-by arranging the movable electrodes to move in a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane.

The invention may therefore be said to consist broadly of a liquid electric controller having movable and fixed electrodes in which the electrodes are disposed horizontally or substantially horizontally the movable electrodes being supported so that they move in a straight or curved path towards or away from the fixed electrodes.

The invention may be carried into eiiiect either by suspending the movable electrodes from a horizontal sliding bar or by suspending the same by means of a swinging arm. These two embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which F ig. 1 illustrates the first mentioned embodiment and Fig. 2 the second mentioned embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 1 the movable electrodes 1 are attach-ed to the lower ends of bars 2 which depend from and are attached to or formed integral with horizontal bars 3 so that these electrodes are immersed in the resistance liquid and oppose the fixed electrodes 4: which are mounted within earthenware or other insulating pots or vessels in the usual manner. The above-mentioned horizontal bars 3 are slidably supported within bearings 5 above the resistance liquid in opposite sides of the tank 6 containing such liquid, one end of such bar projecting beyond such tank sufiiciently to enable a connection to be made with the actuating means not shown which may be of any conventional and suitable kind.

The resistance liquid may be cooled by means of pipes 8 arranged within the tanlt through which pipes cooling water is circulated by way of the connections 9 and 10. Furthermore a system of induced circula tion for the resistance liquid may also be arranged, such for example as by so arranging the circulating path of the liquid heated between the electrodes that it can rise freely without meeting cool descending liquid. This is achieved according to the embodiments illustrated by separating the tank 6 into two compartments by means of a partitional wall 11 the chamber A thus formed being isolated from the resistance liquid; Within this chamber A is sup ported a box or casing 12 containing the fixed electrodes 4 the interior of which box or casing is open to the resistance liquid by means of a porcelain pot 13 constituting the inlet for the cooled liquid and a porcelain pipe 14 constituting an outlet or return pipe through which the heated liquid rises and returns to the main tank there to be cooled by passing over the pipes 8. The cold liquidthus always enters one end of the box or casing 12 and flows out at the other end thus ensuring a continual flow of cooled liquid between the electrodes.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 the movable electrodes 1 are attached to the lower end of an arm 15 which swings about a fulcrum point 16. By this means the movable electrodes are caused to move in a curved path in contra-distinction to the straight path which they are caused to travel by means of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1.

In this arrangement it will of course be necessary to counter-balance the movable electrodes and to incline the fixed electrodes as shown but the weight necessary to effect this counterbalancing is so small in comparison to that required to counter balance the movable electrode of the vertically moving type as to impose, comparatively, but a slight load upon the operating mechanism.

Where the cooling of the electrolyte is eiiected outside the tank 6 and the electrolyte is pumped into the controller from an outside source the outlet 14 may be entirely separated from the inlet 13. This may be effected by carrying the partition wall 1-1 vertically to the topv of the tank, thus pre venting the electrolyte from returning. until the same has passed through the external cooling system.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I l. A liquid electric controller comprising a tank adapted to contain a resistance liquid, a; casing located within said tank, a fixed electrode located, within said casing, 21 horizontal inlet passage and a vertical outlet passage effecting a communication between the interiors of said casing and said tank.-

a tankadapted tocontain, a resistance liquid,' a compartment within saldtaiilt the lnterlor,

of which compartment is isolatcdi roin said resistanceliquld, a casing located within said compartment, a fixed electrode located \Vltll' in said casing, a horizontal inlet passagev and a vertical outlet passage effecting a com.- munication. bctweenthc interior of said casing and said tank through which passages the resistance liquid is caused to flow, ,a movable electrode and means for moving said movable electrode through said horizontal inlet passage towards and away from the fixed elect-rode within the casing.

3. A liquid electric controller comprising a tank adapted'to contain a resistance liquid, a compartn'ient within said tank the interior ofwhich compartment is isolated from said resistance liquid, a casing located within said compartment, a fixed electrode located within said casing, a horizontalinlet passage. and a vertical outlet passage both of which passages extend from said casing to the Walls of said compartment and provide acommunicationbetween the interiors of: saidcasing and said. tank through which passages the resistance liquid is. caused to flow, a

swinging arm, a movable electrode mounted:

upon the free extremity of" said arm and. means. for movingsaid arm tovcause said movable electrode to, move in. a, curved path: through said horizontal inlet passage] towards and away from the, fixed electrode within. the casing.

111, witnesswhereot I affix my. signature ALLEN W EST. 

